Huge tornado wreaks havoc in small Florida town

A massive tornado bringing 135 mile per hour winds touched down in Cape Coral, Florida this Saturday. According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, officials are currently assessing the damage in the small town following the landing of the storm.

Cape Coral Police’s spokesman Dana Coston declined to say how many homes were damaged by the tornado on Saturday night, but it danced around a 12-square mile area within the city limits. Nobody was killed in the storm, and only minor injuries were reported.

“We have numerous power lines down, we have numerous homes that have been damaged,” said Coston in a statement.

Early news reports from the scene showed cars flipped over, a roof dangling from the side of a house and trees and street signs strewn about peoples’ front yards. Officials estimate that there were almost 10,000 people without power, but this number is now closer to about 1,500. Over 100 fire rescue workers were dispatched to check on residents and see how bad the damage was.

Cape Coral resident Kelly Anderson reported that the evening began windy, but the tornado came very quickly. She sought cover in the bathroom as her home began to rattle with the increasingly fast winds. “Within minutes everything let loose. I heard glass behind me shattering everywhere,” Anderson said.

“The truck literally flew from the driveway to the backyard and the boat landed on top of it and I’m just very surprised that everybody inside that house is safe,” she said of the damage.

Other homes didn’t fare so well – Anderson reported that another home on her block appeared to be completely destroyed. Luckily, the owners appeared to be out of town during the tornado. The Red Cross has opened a shelter in Cape Coral at a local school offering aid and assistance to residents whose homes were badly damaged.